Achieving that sexy look for Valentine’s Day is important for any girl! On any given day, though, curlies, kinkies, and wavies need to go the extra mile to make sure their curls stand out — especially for this romantic holiday. Here are some hot curly hair tips to rock your locks.

1. Shine

Few things are sexier on a full head of curls than shine you can see from a distance. Even if you’re a type 4 with coarse, kinky hair, you can have hair that shines! If you want shiny hair, you’ve got to get to the core of your hair shaft instead of just focusing on the outside or top layer.

Both coconut oil and avocado are good for type 4 kinks when doing a “wash and go.” Type 4s might also find it useful to do a twist out since the sheen from the curl cream used in the twist out will give your hair a shiny boost.

For curlies and wavies, keeping your hair well conditioned will not only add moisture, but also softness and shine. Tip: avoid using hair dyes, as they tend to dry out your hair.

2. Moisture

The best thing for instant moisture is a good old-fashioned deep conditioning treatment! You can precede your deep condition with a hair mask if you’d like; many of them are great for giving extra moisture. After shampooing your hair, apply a good, moisturizing conditioner, then cover your hair with a shower cap and let the conditioner do its thing for about 30 to 40 minutes.

Some curlies find it useful to comb the conditioner through their hair before covering it with a shower cap, while others find that combing their damp hair – even with loads of conditioner – causes breakage. You decide what will be best for your own hair! Some of our favorite deep conditioners are Bee Mine’s Bee-U-Ti-Ful Deep Conditioner for wavies and curlies, while Mop Top’s Deep Conditioner and Mixed Chick’s Deep Conditioner gets fantastic reviews from the curlies and combo type 3/type 4 girls we know.

3. Volume

For some curlies, adding volume is the last thing they want to do to their hair. This is probably true if you’re a 3c or type 4. However, for our wavies and 3a/3bs out there, volume is something with which they may struggle.

To remedy this, try clipping your hair at the roots to give some volume at the top of your head only. Separate the front of your dampened hair into sections about one-inch wide, twist, and clip to your head with duckbill clips. Diffuse your clipped hairs for a little bit, and then remove the clips, flip your head upside down and back, and enjoy!

4. Control

Keeping your curls under control is important for any curly, no matter which type of curly you are. To prevent frizz, you should rinse the conditioner out of your hair with cool to cold water. This will trap the moisture into your opened (from hot water) hair cuticle. While all curlies want to keep moisture in their hair, you should avoid products that will weigh your hair down. In addition, air-dry your hair as often as possible and avoid the blow dryer. Trust us – letting your curls air dry will go a long way in keeping those curls in check!

5. Health

To get healthy hair, be willing to trim some of it! Wavies with thinner hair tend to get “fairy tale ends,” or stringy hair at the ends. Curlies and kinkies might not have dead ends that are as obvious, but if you aren’t trimming it on a regular basis, they’re there!

Mystik Writer, a fellow writer at NaturallyCurly.com, shares her personal testimony about trimming vs. not and what her results were. The bottom line: if you want sexy hair, you’ve got to keep split ends at bay!